JOSEPH: A Brand That Started from a Hair Salon, Mastering the Art of Cashmere and Silk Minimalism
My first encounter with Joseph was while browsing through Galeries Lafayette, where they had a dedicated Joseph store. I was immediately struck by the sophisticated simplicity of the clothing, from the color palette to the materials used.
I tried on a pair of trousers in the store but found them too formal, so I passed on them. Overall, I prefer shopping from Joseph’s official website as the selection in local multi-brand stores often lacks the variety and appeal I seek. However, what Joseph does best is their basic cashmere and silk pieces, especially in knitwear.
After all, the founder Joseph Ettedgui’s vision was to transform high-quality fabrics into luxurious garments while maintaining a low-key, minimalist design, emphasizing craftsmanship and premium materials.
01
1966: Joseph Ettedgui opened a hair salon called Salon 33 on London’s King’s Road, which marked the beginning of the JOSEPH brand. Ettedgui started attending Paris Fashion Week and began selling knitwear from Kenzo, a French brand founded by a Japanese designer, in his salon — a venture that proved highly successful.
1970s: Salon 33 gradually transitioned into a fashion boutique, Joseph, showcasing works by avant-garde designers like Alaïa and Yohji Yamamoto. The brand’s influence grew as it opened four more stores in London, solidifying its position as a fashion landmark.
At the Joseph boutique, alongside avant-garde designer clothing, many fashion magazines were available for customers to discover new ideas. Joseph Ettedgui also supported young designers like Margaret Howell, John Galliano, and Katharine Hamnett.
1979: JOSEPH opened a new flagship store on Sloane Street, London. Designed by renowned architect Norman Foster, this modernist space marked Knightsbridge as a new fashion hotspot.
Joseph’s taste for minimalism influenced the fashion industry’s aesthetic transformation from the 1970s to the 1980s, as many emerging or previously established minimalist brands began to gain more recognition.
1983: The JOSEPH brand launched its own knitwear line, JOSEPH TRICOT, which later expanded into a full ready-to-wear collection encompassing various luxurious modern pieces. The brand officially rebranded as JOSEPH.
“Tricot” is a French term referring to a specific type of textured knit fabric. Below are some of the current pieces from JOSEPH’s Tricot collection, featuring various knit textures reminiscent of Kenzo.
As for why the price is listed in yen, we’ll discuss Joseph’s key investment milestones later.
1984: Another store was opened on Sloane Street called Joe’s Cafe, combining a restaurant and lifestyle shop to create a different shopping experience. This concept was quite ahead of its time, attracting many buyers and creatives.
Back in high school, during P.E. class, I often daydreamed about something similar — not a cafe, but a bakery. I could never get into coffee, and even now, I don’t drink it.
1988: Collaborating with designer Eva Jiřičná, Joseph opened another flagship store at 77 Fulham Road in London.
1993: Joseph started setting up a design studio in Paris, which later evolved into an atelier for creating collections for fashion weeks, all handcrafted.
1996: Joseph designed the striped visual identity and logo that are still in use today.
The 2024 SS collection features the brand’s signature stripe visual elements in the design of suits and dresses.
1999: The shares of the JOSEPH brand were sold to Belgian financier Albert Frère and French luxury group LVMH, marking the brand’s global expansion.
2005: The JOSEPH brand was acquired by the Japanese Onward Kashiyama Group, and Joseph Ettedgui and his brothers exited the company by the end of the year.
The Onward Kashiyama Group, in addition to JOSEPH, also owns the brand 23区, which is particularly known for its focus on materials. According to feedback on Xiaohongshu, the cost-performance ratio is even better than Erdos and ZUCZUG, especially for cashmere coats. They have an official store on Taobao.
2010s: JOSEPH continued expanding globally, opening several new international stores, and debuted at London Fashion Week in 2013.
2014: The brand launched a menswear line.
2020: The couple Anna Lundbäck Dyhr and Frederik Dyhr were appointed as Joseph’s creative directors.
Before joining Joseph, Anna Lundbäck Dyhr held senior design positions at brands like Bottega Veneta, Lanvin, Uniqlo U, and COS, while Frederik Dyhr was previously the Global Head of Menswear at Tommy Hilfiger and also worked at Belstaff and Burberry.
The duo upholds Joseph Ettedgui’s founding vision by maintaining minimalist designs while using premium fabrics and craftsmanship.
Their collections often feature luxurious materials such as virgin wool, silk, leather, and cashmere.
02
Each season, JOSEPH’s most popular pieces are consistently available on their website. So, in addition to the recent runway collections, I’ve also selected some representative, high-quality pieces from the website.
Overall, JOSEPH’s fall and winter collections tend to have more refined designs and superior quality, especially since their main focus is knitwear. Therefore, I’ve mainly chosen coats from the runway images.
My favorite is this scarf coat style, which has been trending in recent years. Although such coats with built-in scarves generally suit taller individuals, this styling tip is worth borrowing. That’s why I love buying scarves in winter; a densely knit scarf can block the wind effectively.
The following two outfits are also worth emulating: pairing a cashmere knit dress or a suit underneath a coat.
I also came across a novel styling trick — tying strings around the ankles of pants. I wonder if this will become a trend in a few years.
First, let’s talk about some of the more uniquely designed items from the website, followed by the basics.
These Speckled Linen Atlas Pants feature a high-waisted, wide-leg design, made from a blend of viscose, silk, and linen. The pants are floor-length, with a soft, smooth texture and front pleats that create a relaxed yet refined look. I particularly like the naturally speckled texture, which feels more approachable, possibly because I’ve seen too many overly perfect, industrially uniform garments.
The pleated suit below is also quite nice, though it’s made from 100% polyester. It would have been even better in 100% silk.
This 100% silk set, on the other hand, is something I can’t quite grasp — the deliberate crinkling effect is not very user-friendly.
The top in this set is loose-fitting with a round neckline and a small button closure at the collar for a touch of detail. The sleeves are wide, with slightly tightened cuffs for a bit of style; the pants are high-waisted and loose, with an elastic waistband, perfectly complementing the top for a look that’s both relaxed and elegant.
This Cashair V-neck sweater is made from 100% cashmere, known for its soft and lightweight texture. It’s a classic piece from the JOSEPH brand.
The sweater has a loose fit, offering a semi-sheer delicate texture, and features ribbed detailing on the neckline, hem, and cuffs.
Whether it’s a long-sleeved cashmere sweater or a short-sleeved cashmere and silk blend, many of them have this slightly sheer, lightweight texture. In addition to V-necks, there are also crewnecks and mid-high necks. Joseph’s website has a dedicated cashmere category, featuring mostly basic styles, including cardigans, long sleeves, and short sleeves.
It comes in three colors: green, beige, and red.
The most basic dress style is the silk slip dress below, cut on the bias, with a fitted upper body and a gradually loosening silhouette from the hips down.
They also offer a silk camisole top version of this dress, with lace detailing on the upper body.
The longer silk tank top below is also quite basic. In recent years, slightly longer tank tops like this have been especially popular, pairing well with relaxed wide-leg pants.
For such silk tank tops, I recommend pairing them with silk pants for a more cohesive look. The cover image of this article features this pairing.
Joseph’s coats are almost always made from 80% wool, with the remainder being silk or cashmere. The tailoring is very precise, though pure cashmere options are indeed rare.
Besides shoes, Joseph uses leather primarily for making leather pants, skirts, and jackets. While some might think leather pants are too stuffy, genuine leather is actually quite comfortable.
Reading up to this point, I found myself slightly tempted. Considering the bitterly cold winds of a Beijing winter, a windproof and warm pair of leather pants would be very comforting.
I used to think leather pants only came in ultra-tight styles, but it turns out they also come in cropped and wide-leg versions.
I also quite like this leather wrap coat, made from two layers of leather bonded together for added structure and shape.
These pointed flat shoes, as you can see, are made from very soft leather. The heel is specially cushioned for added comfort, and the overall shape reminds me of Aladdin’s teapot from “One Thousand and One Nights.”
These two colors of ankle boots are also simple and versatile, though the square heel is a bit unusual.
These knotted sandals look great, especially in brown. The knotted part has a silky, chocolate-like texture.
Epilogue
When searching for JOSEPH on the map, I didn’t find many direct stores — only one in Shanghai — but I did find two outlet stores in Beijing Spruce and Shanghai Bicester. If you come across good fabrics, it should be worth it. The brand has received good reviews on Xiaohongshu, whether for quality, value for money, or design.
Given that this brand has relatively good distribution channels in China, it’s worth checking out, especially during events like the Galeries Lafayette anniversary sale.
Unlike many brands that decline after being repeatedly acquired, JOSEPH has maintained its standards well, continuing to uphold minimalist designs and a strong focus on cashmere and silk fabrics.
by: @pamperherself
